Electromagnetic compatibility in systems, including radio frequency and microwave signal producing hardware (e.g., antennas), often experience interference and signal degradation. Signal degradation occurs because electromagnetic energy produced by independent sources located in close proximity to each other, or other components, can interfere. Such is the case in current cellular phones or microwave arrays that include two or more antennas located in close proximity to one another.
This problem is particularly relevant in the growing mobile device market given the small size and limited space available on wireless mobile devices for locating the antennas needed to support wireless communications with cellular and data networks.
Material properties at radio frequency and microwave scales are limited due to the lack of molecular resonances at these frequencies. The ability to choose, or design, materials in the radio frequency (RF) and microwave regions is therefore limited. By contrast, wide ranges of material options are available at optical frequencies because electron transitions occur on a commensurate time scale.
Metamaterials are engineered composites that exhibit properties often not found in nature and that are not observed in their constituent materials. The most common form of metamaterials use sub-wavelength metal resonators to realize a desired permittivity or permeability. However, such structures are prohibitively lossy for many applications and usually operate over an equally prohibitive bandwidth. All-dielectric metamaterials can exhibit much lower loss than metal structures, but they offer fewer design options because they interact more weakly with an applied wave. While dielectric metamaterials, offer excellent potential to overcome shortcomings associated with metal resonators, the weaker interaction with an applied wave remains a significant hurdle.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for methods, systems, and devices providing materials and shapes that can be incorporated into electromagnetic, magnetic, radio frequency, microwave, millimeter wave, and other such systems in a manner that enhances the electromagnetic compatibility of components located therein.